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TRP: Goro, Larkin, and Scammer (Scam)
January 24, 2019 Jen: SettingDay 173, the castle. Goro and Larkin have been sitting in the sun room together, diskussing the Sanguines. Larkin sat with the book on her knees, elbows on the book, and face buried in her hands so she wouldn't have to see these stupid sign tables anymore. If she'd peeked at them through her fingers, they'd surely be arrayed into a single, inky middle finger shape. "How's this so fucking hard," she muttered. "Fuck. Can't remember the cant being that damn hard to learn." Her head dropped from her hands and her fingers did a quick succession of signs. Stab me please. Lina: "It's fucking bullshit, is all. You can't learn this kind of thing from a book. What do these arrows even fucking mean?" Goro jabbed his finger at a part of the page not obscured by Larkin's elbows. "We need a real person to teach us, is what. You know, I learned Common and Elvish and Orc without ever touching a damn book." Coyote: There was an insistent knock on the front door, far in the other room. It echoed in the empty castle. Lina: Goro looked up. "Eh? Nixie must've locked herself out again. Be right back." He stood and walked out through the kitchen. Jen: Larkin got up and followed, not to see Sugar in but to get a break from the book. She snatched up an apple in the kitchen and strolled along some paces behind Goro. Coyote: When they opened the front door, a human woman stood there, shivering badly. She looked to be in her mid-fifties or so, maybe older. She had fair hair and fair skin, and she looked even paler in the cold. A scar sloped across the side of her face, and she was missing an ear— it looked as though it’d been torn off. She wore a big, clunky, obvious brace on her right leg, and she leaned heavily on a staff. She didn’t come in, clutching the staff to stay upright. “Pardon me. It’s— it’s so cold. Can I come in?” Lina: Goro closed the door most of the way, blocking the opening with his body. "Yeah, no. Who the hell are you? Is someone following you?" Jen: Larkin squinted at the sight of her, slinking back behind Goro and over to one of the windows to look out for anyone else around. Coyote: There was no one else around. “Um,” she said. Her eyes were wide, trying to peer around him, trying to scan the room. “Please don’t close the door. I just came— I just came all the way from the Sanctuary. Eldath, I’m so tired. No one is following me.” Her voice was very quiet, breathy, and sweet. Lina: "Why here? Why'd you leave the Sanctuary?" He leaned back just far enough to sign to Larkin in cant. See anyone? Jen: Larkin shook her head, then signed back. Hold her off. Checking area. She quickly left to see if anyone was hiding out of sight of the front doors. Coyote: “I heard my son was here,” the woman said. “Is there a man here named Goro Trickfoot?” Lina: Goro narrowed his eyes and stared at her for several moments before speaking. "Sure isn't." Coyote: The woman clutched her coat a little tighter. She was looking at Goro, intently, but seemed lost and confused. “Could I— speak to someone else? A woman... a woman named Amari said he was here. Is this the Glimmerton castle? Maybe I’m— maybe I came to the wrong place. I’m so sorry.” Jen: Returning from her hurried round, Larkin went to check the area just outside the front doors again. About two dozen feet down the path, something moved inside the bushes. She went back to hide inside the door and as Goro glanced over, did a few more quick signs to let him know. Backyard clear. One person hiding outside in the brush. Twenty feet, on the left. Lina: Goro hastily signed back. Trickfoot. Who? He gripped the door, knuckles white, and faced the woman again. "Who the fuck are you? What's your name? Amari who?" Jen: Don't know, Larkin signed, then: Take her out? Coyote: “I’m so sorry,” the woman said. “Did I do something wrong?” Lina: Goro held up a finger for Larkin to wait. "Yeah, lady. You show up at my fucking house in the middle of the fucking day, with no warning, claiming to be my mother. That seem normal to you? Answer. The goddamn. Questions." Coyote: The woman’s eyes widened, and she looked Goro over again. “I’m Veracity,” she said. “You’re Goro? I’m so sorry, I’m so confused. A woman named Amari said she adopted an orphan named Goro. She was bragging about how he saved the world from some sort’ve plague. You don’t know her?” Jen: Larkin made a quiet but sharp clicking noise to make Goro look to her again. Fucking scam, she signed with a jerk of her hand. Lina: Goro waved the warning off. "Veracity," he said, giving her a decidedly unfriendly smile. "Yeah. I do go by Goro. Let's make sure it's the same Goro you're looking for, though, eh? Assuming you really are here in search of your son, I don't see any harm in a little... how shall we say... enforced truth-telling. What do you think? Hey, tell you what, I'll throw in a hot cup of tea, to sweeten the deal." Coyote: The woman back up a good ten feet. “I’m sorry— enforced— are you— are you suggesting you’re going to torture me? I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I must have the wrong castle. Listen, I’m sorry— I’m sorry to have bothered you. Please don’t hurt me. I don’t have anything on me.” And she started walking quickly away down the path, dragging her braced leg. Lina: "Hey! Fuckin' get back here. I'm not done talking to you." Jen: Larkin's own hand crossbow was stored up in her room but fortunately, they'd taken precautions. She snatched up the full size crossbow from where it leaned readied next to the entrance, and slipped out in front of Goro to point it at the old woman. "Stop right there," she snapped. "And don't you fucking test me." She jerked her head in the direction of the bushes. "You there, hands up and get over there." Coyote: Veracity was already on the move before Larkin called out. She went to the bushes and scooped up the person there— a small child, maybe eight years old, dark-skinned and black-haired— and set him on his feet. Then Larkin called out, and she froze. The child looked over, wide-eyed, but kept holding onto the woman. She backed away a little, but then made herself stop. She looked over her shoulder at the bridge across the entrance, but stayed where she was. Her hands twisted on the staff. “I’ll scream,” she started to say, then stopped. The castle was too far away. “Please— if you are my son, can we just— I just— I don’t understand—“ Lina: This was unbelievably fucking weird, and Goro couldn't decide what kind of weird it was. Scam, sure. But there was also the possibility Goro and Larkin were just fucking terrorizing some harmless woman and a small child. That'd make a hell of a scam, though. "Enforced truth telling," Goro called, not moving from the doorway, "means I cast a spell called Zone of Truth, and you can't tell a lie while you're under it. Should be no problem, if you are who you say you are." Coyote: “And then— and then what? You’re going to kill me if I’m lying? I just want to go,” she said. “I don’t want to come in anymore.” The child pressed his face to her leg, watching mutely. Jen: "Are you lying?" Larkin said sharply. She kept the crossbow level. "You're getting a chance here, lady, better fucking take it." Coyote: The woman wavered for a second. And then she grabbed the child’s arm and bolted, running as fast as she could with the brace on down the slope towards the safety of Glimmerton.(edited) Lina: "Shoot her," Goro said. "Don't kill." Jen: She let fly but the bolt fell short, skipping along uselessly between the woman's feet. Larkin cursed, set the bow down to jerk the string back up, and gave chase. Coyote: The woman shrieked as a crossbow bolt barely missed her. She shoved the child towards the woods, and he broke off, stumbling into the bushes. She kept going down the path alone, keeping herself in view. About one hundred feet ahead, there was a small farm with people outside it. Lina: Goro took off, aiming for the spot where he'd seen the kid disappear. He shoved his way into the bushes until he reached him, then grabbed his arm to keep him from running. "Who was that lady? Was that your mom?" Jen: Larkin loaded another bolt while running, catching up just enough to allow her to stop, take aim while holding her breath - and bury the bolt up to its feathers in the woman's thigh. She went to with a shriek. Larkin fumbled for the cord on her belt, one handed and running again, to tie her up. Coyote: Veracity screamed. A jolt of agony tore up her leg, and she tried to keep running but failed, toppling. Seventy-five fest away, one of the farmer standing nearby bolted, heading deeper into town. The two remaining people backed away, then ran inside their homes. — The boy stayed quiet, looking up at Goro with wide eyes, and let himself be dragged. Jen: Fuck. The farmers had seen, of course, and the woman wouldn't stop fucking screaming. They'd have to deal with this fast before someone decided to gather a mob. Larkin sprang on the woman, pressed her head down with a knee on her neck and twisted her arms onto her back to tied her wrists. "Shut the fuck up," Larkin hissed. "I fucking told you not to test me. Who do you people never fucking listen?" She stuffed one of her gloves into the woman's mouth and secured the makeshift gag with a few loops of cord. Satisfied, she sprang up to look for Goro. Larkin couldn't see him but she cupped her hands before her mouth and shouted "Got her!" into the direction he'd chased the boy in. Lina: Goro led the boy out of the bushes, eyeing him the whole time. "Is that your mom?" he tried again. Nothing. "Can you talk?" He repeated himself in Elvish, then tapped a finger near his ear and raised his eyebrows, like Can you hear?(edited) Coyote: The kid twisted his hands. He didn’t respond, looking away, anxiously staring at the ground. Veracity gave up, going limp and quiet and still. Lina: "Hey. Come on." Goro dropped to his knees in front of the kid, trying to look him in the eye. "Can you understand me?" Coyote: The kid still wouldn’t look at him, face yellow and pinched and frozen. He nodded shyly, but didn’t say anything. Lina: "Is that lady your mom? Do you want to go back to her?" Coyote: He hesitated, then nodded again, but stiffened up and looked at Larkin. His mouth tremored, his eyes looking wet and scared. When he spoke, it was a very soft and even voice. “She’s my m-mom I think. I’m supposed to go if we get attacked.” Lina: "You think?" Well, that was fuckin' weird. "Hey, no one's gonna hurt you, alright? It's gonna be fine." Goro hoisted the kid up to carry on his hip, and walked slowly back over to Larkin and the woman. "What's she got to say for herself, Lark?" Jen: "Dunno." Larkin glanced down at the woman to her feet. "Wouldn't stop screaming so I had to shut her up." Another glance, this time over her shoulder towards the farmers. No one coming up from the town yet, nor anyone else wanting to play hero. Lina: "Alright, well--hey, fuckin' cut that out!" Goro said when he felt the kid's fingers poking into a pocket. He set the kid down and held him at arm's length with a hand on top of his head. "We're gonna try this one more time, lady. Zone of Truth. Larkin, take the gag out." Jen: "Yeah but- maybe you should do something 'bout that first." She pointed at the bolt sticking out of the woman's leg. "Else she's not gonna do much talking." Coyote: Far down the street, there came the sound of hooves. A guard dressed in armor rode towards them, sword drawn. Two came running on foot as well. “Hold!” the horseman called ahead. “Drop your weapons and stay there!” Jen: Larkin scowled at them and growled. "For fuck's sake." She set the crossbow down, then stepped back until she was standing next to Goro and facing the patrol. Lina: "Here, take this," Goro muttered to Larkin, pushing the kid at her. "Watch it, he's got slippery fingers." Goro held his hands in the air to show they were empty, then pointed at Veracity. "I need to heal this woman," he called to the guard, and dropped down on his knees beside her. Working quickly so he wouldn't cause her unnecessary pain, he used one of his knives to cleanly cut the bolt out, and his Foxtail wand to close the wound. Coyote: The rider pulled up short. He was a short half orc, thick and burly. A scar carved across his face. He didn’t sheathe his sword or get off the horse. “By order of the guard, explain this.”(edited) Jen: Larkin held the boy tight by his shoulders and looked to Goro to do the talking. Lina: Goro pulled Veracity's gag out. "Well? Explain." Coyote: Veracity looked up. She looked at the guards. “He cast some sort’ve truth spell on me,” she said raggedly. “I think.” She struggled to wipe her mouth on her shoulder. “I came from the Sanctuary. I was looking for help there. Shelter. A woman there— a cleric— was bragging about her adopted son, a boy named Goro. She said he was one of the heroes that saved Skyport from the plague. I heard of the Graverunners. Tomb raiders, rich mercenaries. She was so proud... she said he’d come off the streets, no mother, no father. Said he’d taken care of himself most of his life, but he’d come so far, and she was so proud. Said he was doing so well for himself. I asked around, and people said they lived in a— fancy castle out here by Glimmerton. “I came to talk to him,” she said, and her eyes were wet with tears. She wiped her face. “He was about the right age to be my son. I came to tell him he was mine and I was sorry I left him. But when I knocked on the door... first he told me there was no Goro here. Then he got angry and said he’d make me tell the truth, and that woman pointed a crossbow at me. I asked if they were gonna torture or kill me... and then I ran. I didn’t want to talk to him no more, figured it was too dangerous and he might be... volatile. Then she shot me. And chased me down here.” She shook her head. Her face was still white with cold. “I just wanna go. I never wanted this— disturbance.” Jen: "Shouldn't've fucking run," Larkin snarled. "You act like a crook, you get treated like a crook." Lina: Goro smiled benevolently up at the guard. "Please go back and inform the captain we have it under control, now." Coyote: “Please, don’t go,” the woman begged. “I just want to leave. Don’t... don’t leave me here, I screamed... people saw...” The guard hesitated. The other two ran up beside him and stopped. His face was very cold, pale and angry. He didn’t sheathe his sword. He jerked his chin at the woman. “You gonna kill her?”(edited) Lina: "I sure as hell won't. Did you hear what she said? This woman could be my long-lost mother. I didn't believe it before, but hell, with the spell going..." Coyote: The other two guards shuffled back. One of them grabbed the half-orc’s arm, muttering, “Kash. Captain Slate said...” The half-orc guard didn’t budge. He jerked his arm out of the other guard’s grip. His jaw was locked, his tusks biting into his skin, and his eyes kept shifting between the tied woman and Larkin. “And the kid?” he said. Lina: Goro's eyes widened, and he held it a second enough enough to make them start watering. Then he leaned over Veracity, tears brimming. He pointed at the kid. "Is... is that my brother?" Coyote: “No,” Veracity said hoarsely. “That’s my grandson.” Lina: "Is it... my nephew?" Coyote: “How would I know?” she spat. Tears streamed down her face. “Yeah, fuck this,” Kash said. “The fucking captain can fucking fire me. You two. Get the fuck back to your fucking castle.” Lina: Goro ignored him. He leaned closer to Veracity, bearing his teeth. "You'd know if I'm your goddamn son, is how. Did you really have a kid named Goro you left on the streets? It's a yes or no question." Coyote: “I had a son,” she said. “His name wasn’t fucking Goro. I thought— I thought maybe. I thought wrong.” “Yeah, we’re fucking done,” Kash said, and shoved Goro back away from the woman. He moved, arm raising to punch Goro in the face. One of the other two guards dove forward, screaming, “Kash! For— fuck’s sake!” The other dove forward, too. Jen: Larkin shoved the kid aside and fell to her knees, dagger out and coming down on Veracity's throat. "Fucking freeze," she yelled to the guards, "or I'll slit the bitch!" Coyote: Kash snarled. His fist connected with the half-elf’s cheekbone, and it made a satisfying crunch. He didn’t hear the tiefling talk at first. There were just noises, and shouting, and people trying to hold him back. He punched two more times— not caring if he hit or missed. Then what the tiefling said registered, and he let Oma and Perry drag him back, praying she hadn’t slit the woman’s throat. The woman continued weeping, her face pressed to the snow. Lina: "God! Fuck!" Goro rolled around on his back, cradling his face as pain radiated into his eye and his jaw. Damn it, though, he couldn't let this bitch get away with her shit. "Veracity!" he yelled. "Did you really think I might be your son, or did you just come here to scam me?" He squinted to the side for another look at the kid. He'd said he thought she was his mom, but she said he was her grandson, and that was while under the spell. Fuckin' weird. No end to it. Jen: They didn't fucking react. Fuck, though, Larkin didn't want to murder someone here. She was trying to keep a low profile, dammit. She tried again, shouting at them while half crouched over the woman. They did hear her then. Thank Mask. "Fucking answer." She dug the tip of the blade in a bit deeper, then looked at the guards. "And you better get away from him. You good, pal?" Coyote: Kash spat on Goro. He raised his boot to kick him, and one of the other guards gripped his arm. He jerked away. “You wanna finish this, half-elf, come looking for me at the docks,” he said lowly. “Ask around. It’s Kash. You too, tiefling coward bitch. Hiding behind old women.” He mounted his horse, turned, and began to ride away. “Yes,” Veracity said. “I thought maybe you were my son, and— it seemed possible— and you were close to his age— but he was older, ten years or so, but half-elves ages are hard to tell, I thought— yes, I came to fucking see if you were my son! And yes, I came to see if you fucking lived and a castle and could take care of me and my grandson!” Lina: "Ah, jeez." Goro pushed himself up to sitting. He prodded experimentally at his cheek to--oh, yeah, nope, fuck no. Fucking jackass, that guy. Picking on a goddamn healer who just wanted some questions answered. "What was your son's name? Maybe I knew him. Lark, you can lay off with the knife." Jen: She did as he asked and put the dagger away, then scooted over to get a closer look at Goro's face. "Fucking asshole," she hissed. Coyote: Veracity blinked away tears. Her grandson was still a ways away, sitting curled up. She didn’t want to answer. She wanted to run away. She would have if she could have, but they’d already shot her once for trying to leave without answering their questions. “It was Ren,” she said. “Can you cut me loose, please?” Lina: Goro sighed. He didn't say anything for a while, just stared at the ground. "Never heard of him," he said finally. He reached inside his robe for his coin purse--the real one, not the trick one the kid had been going after. He took out a handful of gold coins, showed them to her, then set them on the ground beside her. He put the purse away and used his knife to cut her loose. "You should go back to the Sanctuary. They'll take care of you there." Jen: "What the fuck, Goro?" Larkin watched him cut her loose and dish out gold to her. "She was trying to fuck you over. Hey, you." She nodded at the woman. "What were you gonna do once you found out he wasn't really your son? Doubt you'd just apologized and fucked off." Coyote: Veracity grabbed the coins with shaking fingers. She went to scoop up her grandson and held him tightly to her chest. Either way, she would have tried to get him to think she was his mother, even if it wasn’t true. Her grandson, Jin, was starting to look thin, and her options had run out. Her fingers were too stiff to work her seamstress job and they’d thrown her out. She had no options left. She was too old to become a thief, and they had been on the streets for a year now. You didn’t see many old homeless people around. They didn’t survive that long— especially in Skyport winters. And once she was dead, Jin would have no one, and then he would have grown up on the streets, like her. He would become a thief and a whore like she had been. But if she could’ve convinced one of the Graverunners this was their nephew... he could’ve grown up better. He could’ve been Goro’s apprentice, maybe. Been good and useful. “I would have tried to lie,” she said. She started to leave, then stopped. “Can I go? I’m sorry, I’m— I don’t want to talk, I just want to go.” Lina: "Yeah, yeah, go." Goro waved her off. "I mean it, though. Go back to the Sanctuary. Don't take that kid back to Skyport." His eyes went to her braced leg. "Wait, hey. You need me to heal you? I can probably take care of that."(edited) Jen: "Mask." Larkin flapped her arms, helpless. "You're an idiot, you know that? Do what you fucking want, I'm gonna go back to the books." Lina: Goro flipped her off, lovingly, before turning back to Veracity to hear her response. Coyote: “Fuck you,” Veracity said. “Your mother said you were street, but you’re not. I thought you’d understand. I figured if somebody like us got off the streets, got help, got rich like you, maybe they’d want to help the poor fucks like me trying to survive. If you were my son, I wouldn’t want you. And I’d rather be a cripple.” And she hobbled away, still shaking. If they killed her, they killed her. January 25, 2019 Lina: end Title: Scam. Summary: A woman comes to the castle claiming to be Goro's mother. Larkin and Goro, suspecting her to be a scam artist, get aggressive. Category:Text Roleplay